Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introduction: The use of psychoactive substances in homeless individuals prolongs their time on the streets and increases the risk of acquiring chronic and infectious diseases. Objective: To identify substances use profiles in homeless individuals. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 368 homeless individuals who attended the Centro Día Program in Itagüí, Antioquia, Colombia. Information related to psychoactive substance use was extracted from clinical records, with prior approval for its use. Profiles of stimulants, depressant, and hallucinogenic or psychoactive substance use affecting the Central Nervous System were created. Prevalence, prevalence ratios, and a multiple correspondence analysis were estimated. Results: A total of 88.3 % of participants were men, with an average age of 41.1 years (SD = 14.8). The prevalence of substance use was identified as 73.9 %, with hallucinogenic or psychoactive (marijuana) and depressants (alcohol) being the most common. The profile analysis showed that single men who had been on the streets for more than 3 months were more likely to consume stimulant and depressant drugs. Conclusions: The persistence of psychoactive substance use, as well as inadequate addiction management, increases social vulnerability, which can exacerbate issues such as begging and criminal behavior.

Although affect and well-being occupy a central place in educational discourse, resources and evidence are still scarce. This study sought to analyze the psychometric properties of brief instruments, identify affective profiles and explore the emotions that students associate with their institution. The participants were teachers (n = 350), middle school students (n = 357) and high school students (n = 375) from Uruguay, who completed subjective well-being scales (SWLS and PANAS) and an open-ended question processed through automated text analysis. Factor, reliability and correlation analyses suggest the validity of both scales; cluster analysis suggests the existence of four affective profiles similar to Norlander et al.'s (2002) model: self-fulfilling, self-destructive, high-affective and low-affective. Although the educational institution is predominantly associated with unpleasant experiences (such as stress, tiredness, sadness and anxiety), it is also associated with joy and happiness. Differences were identified depending on the affective profile: for example, associations with interest, motivation and curiosity are distinctive of the self-fulfilling profile, while disappointment, displeasure and loneliness are distinctive of the self-destructive profile. The results suggest that the conjunction of scales and text analysis allows for insights into well-being in educational contexts.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), also known as dysthymia, has a chronic course and a negative impact on people's quality of life, even more so in young university students. This disorder is one of the least studied types of mood disorders and lacks instruments for its proper evaluation. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to build a scale to measure PDD and preliminarily evaluate its psychometric properties. The total sample of the study was 868 university students aged 18 to 34 years. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed the presence of a single factor. Likewise, the confirmatory factor analysis reported adequate goodness-of-fit indices (CFI = .98, TLI = .97, SRMR = .06, RMSEA [90 %CI] = .09 [.08 - .10]) for a single-factor structure. In addition, the scale proved to be invariant according to the sex of the participants. Regarding convergent validity, PDD showed significant covariances with anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction. Finally, the scale showed high reliability (α = .88; ω = .88). In conclusion, the PDD scale preliminarily presents adequate psychometric properties to measure the presence of patterns of persistent depressive disorder in university students.

The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a widely used instrument in the health field, although it is still debated whether its factorial structure corresponds to a one-dimensional or three-factor model, which may be relevant in relation to screening of anxiety, depression and stress as unique factors or to the use of a general measure of negative emotions. In this sense, a sample of 1010 Peruvians from various parts of the country was studied, an exploratory analysis of psychological networks was applied and a confirmatory and semi-confirmatory factor analysis of a brief bifactorial model of the DASS-21 was performed, which was complemented with the ROC curves. Among the most relevant findings is the equivalence of the short version DASS-13 with the DASS-21. Likewise, both the confirmatory and semi-confirmatory bifactorial model support its use as a unidimensional measure, although it shares variance with specific factors. In addition, evidence of the invariance of the DASS-13 was provided according to the gender of the participants, in the same way a specificity and sensitivity of 78.45 % and 52.25 % was found that suggest that the DASS-13 is a more useful tool to discard than for detection. It concludes by supporting the use of the DASS-13 as an essentially one-dimensional measure of negative affect.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the Motives for Ceasing or Reducing Alcohol Consumption Scale (MCR-A) in the Brazilian context. A total of 334 university students participated, with an average age of 22.9 years (SD = 4.20), the majority were female (68 %), single (86 %), and Catholic (47 %). They responded to the sociodemographic questionnaire and the MCR-A Scale, composed of three factors for each construct: F1. Rejection of alcohol; F2. Health and life changes; F3. Severe consequences. Descriptive, confirmatory factor, and internal consistency analyses were conducted. The results indicated adequate evidence for the tested model, with the following fit indices for the motives to reduce [TLI = .99; CFI = .99; RMSEA = .076 (90 % CI = .068 - .084)] and cease [TLI = .99; CFI = .99; RMSEA = .074 (90 % CI = .066 - .082)] alcohol consumption. The alpha and omega values for the scale of motives to reduce (α = .95; ω = .95) and cease alcohol consumption (α = .93; ω = .93) were also adequate. It is concluded that the instrument demonstrated adequate psychometric properties and can assist in scientific studies and intervention actions targeting Brazilian university students.

The availability of large textual datasets enables automated analysis of psychological constructs. To facilitate this, programs have been developed to categorize words and identify various aspects such as cognitive styles, linguistic features, and emotional content. This study consists of two parts that provide evidence of content and external validity for a dictionary designed to assess prosociality, which is compatible with LIWC software. Study 1 is based on a corpus of terms drawn from both natural and specialized sources, evaluated by seven judges, resulting in a definitive list. In Study 2, a public goods game was conducted in which 160 participants faced a dilemma between self-interest and collective well-being. Participants also described the strategies they used in the game and the emotions they experienced. These written responses were analyzed using the dictionary developed in Study 1. The results showed that prosociality, as measured by the dictionary, was positively associated with cooperative behavior in the game. Additionally, cognitive style II was found to predict prosocial behavior. Together, these studies demonstrate the dictionary's utility in evaluating prosociality through linguistic analysis and its potential for estimating this construct in various contexts.

This study investigated the predictive role of Cognitive Flexibility (CF) in Job Stress (JS) in a sample of 203 Brazilian higher education faculty members. A socio-professional questionnaire, the Cognitive Flexibility Scale-Brazil (CFS-B), and the Job Stress Scale (JSS) were applied. Data collection was conducted individually and online, aiming for sample heterogeneity, composed of 52.2 % women, 56.7 % residents of the southern region of the country, 61.6 % in management positions, and 52.2 % working in private institutions. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted. Most participants reported high demand (59.6 %), high control/autonomy (63.5 %), and high support (52.7 %) at work, and indicated a high level of CF (52 %). Weak and positive correlations were found between CF and the evaluated dimensions of JS. The greater the autonomy and social support, and the lower the work demands, the lower the levels of stress experienced. CF presented a small predictive value for JS; nevertheless, it may be protective in the dimensions of social support and control, although it was also related to higher levels of assumed work demands. Organizational Psychology interventions that develop CF may mitigate risk factors associated with the development of work-related illnesses.

Numerous studies demonstrate the beneficial effects of emotional intelligence on teachers’ work, and it is, therefore, increasingly becoming an essential skill for teachers. However, although several studies have shown that emotional intelligence positively impacts the teaching and learning process, there are few instruments to assess emotional skills and competence specifically in teachers. The present study aimed to analyse the internal structure of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire for Teachers (ESCQ-T) and to derive a short version. 1619 teachers from Portuguese schools participated in the study, divided into two samples (validation and replication). The analysis was framed within the framework of exploratory structural equation modelling. A short version of the 15-item ESCQ-T (ESCQ-T15) was obtained considering several criteria with favourable psychometric evidence: empirical equivalence with the ESCQ-T, well-defined internal structure, and adequate reliability coefficients. After consolidating the short version, the invariance between men and women in the two samples was analysed. The results showed that the ESCQ-T15 is valid and reliable. It is concluded that this short version can be a valuable instrument for assessing teachers’ emotional skills and competences.

Executive functions are cognitive processes that allow individuals to deal with unexpected obstacles, see the same situation from different perspectives, focus on a task, and resist impulses. Mindfulness interventions may improve executive functions by directly training these functions while reducing factors that impair them. To better understand these effects, a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the effects of mindfulness interventions on executive functions in adults aged 18 to 60 years, published in the last 5 years was conducted. A total of 1304 articles were found, and after removing duplicates and reviewing titles and abstracts, 32 articles remained. After a thorough reading of these articles and bias risk analysis, 6 articles were included in the study. All the studies included in the review found positive effects on different executive functions, such as attention, cognitive control, and psychological flexibility, resulting from participation in these types of interventions, with four of these studies showing greater effects compared to the control group. Mindfulness-based interventions demonstrate potential for improving inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

This study aimed to examine the biopsychosocial factors that impact the child development in Brazil through a systematic review. The methodology adopted the PRISMA protocol and used a detailed search strategy in major databases. It selected empirical articles published between 2012 and 2024 that included samples of Brazilian children from 0 to 6 years old, describing risk and protective variables using standardized instruments for development assessment. The analysis resulted in the selection of 43 empirical studies, identifying 66 risk and protective factors, of which 78.78 % were classified as risks. The main risk factors identified were socioeconomic vulnerability, preterm birth and male sex. The findings suggest that variables such as maternal education and socioeconomic level are significantly associated with child development, serving as risk or protective factors depending on the context. The analysis underscores the need for early, multidisciplinary interventions to strengthen protective factors and reduce risks. It also suggests expanding research on protective factors. The results highlight the importance of biopsychosocial factors in child development, emphasizing the need for integrated policies in health, education, and social assistance to enhance human development from childhood and reduce inequalities.